


An Accident of Fate

by ZillaShade



Category: Forgotten Realms, The Legend of Drizzt Series - R. A. Salvatore
Genre: Afterlife, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Dungeons & Dragons References, Eventual Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:26:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22700110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZillaShade/pseuds/ZillaShade
Summary: A routine bandit ambush turns unexpectedly tragic but death is only the beginning of this journey.
Relationships: Catti-brie/Drizzt Do'Urden
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story takes place before Catti became a spellcaster, the book The Ghost King, and the events of the spellplague. Catti and Drizzt are not yet a confirmed couple prior to the events detailed within.
> 
> As a writer with SPD (sensory processing disorder) I have a hard time focusing without constant audio stimulation, usually music, so most of my work tends to have a soundtrack of sorts based on what inspired me the most while writing. When I first started this fic in 2007 it was actually inspired by the song "Bring me to Life" by Evanescense and that hasn't really changed though as the tone has shifted in later chapters I switched to different remixes. In particular chapters 5-7. So for anyone who also focuses better with music or just wants to enjoy these chapters with their "soundtrack" use the link below.
> 
> https://www.listenonrepeat.com/watch?v=GtFppSlnekY#Evanescence_-_Bring_Me_to_Life_(The_Enigma_TNG_Orchestral_Version)

It was an accident.

A random twist of fate.

It is true what they say, the fallen drow thought, hero's do not fall in grand battles against even grander foes, they fall to fate, for only fate can fell them.

It should not have come to this.

The bandits that had ambushed them that night could not have foreseen the outcome to their poor choice of battles. Disguised as merchants Drizzt and Catti had dealt with such pests many times before. Thieves and murderers should have known better then to stalk the roads in Icewind Dale so openly. It was only a matter of time before their supposed victims turned on them in a whirl of flashing blades and magical arrows.

It should have been the same this time.

His opponent had not been skilled, had not even been armed. His dress spoke of clergy though his shiny breastplate spoke of something more. He should have paid more attention to the symbol splayed across it's front. The black antlers on a field of red. Beshaba. He should have taken more care.

As he sat in shock, his mind still trying to understand why his hands were soaked in his own blood, he tried to figure out where it had all gone so wrong.

The cleric had been backpedaling away from him, there had been a flash of light, a familiar brightness that had stolen his sight for only a split second.

He had done nothing wrong, he would not have been able to dodge the blow had he even known it was coming. Catti's magical arrow had struck the clerics armor from the side and through sheer bad luck had hit at an angle that caused it to ricochet into Drizzt's stomach.

The magical weapon had no sense of friend or foe. It could not have known that it had struck the wrong target and it proved as powerful as it ever had, passing through his armor, and the body it tried to shield, like paper.

Finally tearing his eyes away from his hands Drizzt met the eyes of his opponent who looked almost equally stunned by the turn of events. Time seemed frozen in that moment, the loss of his weapons not even registering in his mind. Confusion creased his face as his legs lost their strength, depositing him on his knees. The impact seemed to signal time to return to it's normal pace. The cleric took his foul goddesses hint and took flight into the surrounding trees but Drizzt couldn't seem to stop staring after him.

This should not have happened.

\-------------------------------

Someone was screaming. A loud keening wail that sounded like it didn't have any right coming from a humans throat. It took Catti-brie a long moment to realize it was coming from her.

Her aim had been true! Her aim had been true!

What had happened?!

She didn't even notice as the rest of the bandits took flight into the wilderness. Her eyes saw only her fallen friend, struck down by her own arrow.

Dropping her bow she scrambled to Drizzt's side as he slumped over onto the ground, a pool of blood already forming around his body.

"Drizzt! Oh gods!" She cried, dragging his upper body into her lap.

Drizzt seemed to snap out of his trance, frantic eyes focusing upward on her own, "Cat-" he tried then chocked as blood flooded his mouth. His body twitched and spasmed slightly as he fought to clear his air way.

"Oh no...gods no." Catti gasped as a cough caused his blood to splatter upwards across her chest. Her hands fluttered about his head as she tried to find some way to help, all the while knowing deep down that it was useless. With a gasp that sounded close to a sob she clawed at his hands, clasped loosely about his stomach, pulling them away, hoping that somehow she might find some way to help. What she found instead caused her to close her eyes in horror, body shaking. The arrow had done it's job well. Blasting a clean hole straight through his torso.

Turning her eyes away from the wound she felt tears making their slow crawl down her face. Clasping one of his hands she returned her attention to his face. His skin had become ash gray and chilled to the touch. Blood flowed in a continuous stream from between his lips. His chest heaved from the effort of trying to force his failing body to sustain life, heart racing, trying to get blood to the rest of his body but only succeeding in bleeding him faster.

Catti-brie ignored all of this, lowering her face until it hovered just a hairs breath above his. His breaths stirring the hair on her sweaty forehead. His face was creased with sorrow and the slightest hint of pain and fear.

He'd never been afraid of death...but not like this, not like this.

His body stiffened, every muscle going taught as he struggled through the last moments of his life. A small chocked sound escaped his throat.

Catti's lips trembled as she stared into his heavily dilated eyes, hand clasping his tightly. As if she would keep his soul from fleeing by this alone.

"Shh, it's alright, it'll be alright." She whispered over and over, "It'll be over soon..." she swallowed heavily, forcing back a strangled sob, before starting over again.

 _No!_ , Drizzt thought frantically as his body began to go limp, lingering spasms the only sign that he wasn't completely gone, _Not yet! I'm not ready yet!_

As his world faded to blackness the last thing he heard was Catti's voice, broken with sorrow, "I'm so sorry..."

_Not like this..._

And he was gone.

Catti didn't know how long she continued to stare into his unfocused and empty gaze. Her body began to shake with suppressed sobs then she suddenly reared back and let out a loud cry to the heavens. A cry that embodied all of the sorrow, guilt and rage of a woman broken. The power which brought the birds fleeing from the trees leaving dead silence in it's wake. She remained in that position, head tipped back towards the sky long after she ran out of breath to scream, her body swaying back and forth as her hands gripped Drizzt's body.

Hours later when the next group of merchants happened through the pass, she remained that way still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who may be unfamiliar, Beshaba is the Goddess of Misfortune.


	2. Chapter 1

The sun over Icewind Dale dawned red that morning.

 _Like spilled blood_ , Wulfgar couldn't help but think as he stared out across the snow covered Tundra. It was amazing how fast one's life could be thrown so off center.

"Always said he'd get 'imself killed.....never thought he'd actually go'in do it!" Bruenor had growled. Wulfgar didn't mind the grumbling, he knew the deep pain hidden behind the dwarf's anger.

Only a day ago he'd bid the Drow farewell and happy hunting with smiles on their faces, mere hours since the Merchant party had arrived delivering their most unexpected burden.

A tear trailed down his cheek as he crossed his arms over his chest and glared out over the tundra, hoping for nothing more then for some villain to jump out and declare himself the cause for their pain. Maybe then they'd get some sort of relief, some closure.

Drizzt was dead and the only witness to the event, Catti-brie, had fallen so into her grief that she was as one unconscious.

For his companions and the many grieving Dwarves there would be no outlet, no enemy to slay, no vengence to take.

Just the pain of loss. For warriors like themselves it was almost unbearable.

With a heavy, sorrow ladened sigh, the barbarian tore his gaze away from the climbing sun and directed it back toward the caves. The hammer falls and shouts of Dwarves at work were silent now. The air thick with anger and despair. Soon they would have to actually face facts and see their friend's final rest but for now nothing stirred and Drizzt's body lay neglected in a room alone.

"Seein' to the livin's more important!" Bruenor had argued before disappearing into Catti's room with every available healer they'd managed to scrounge up at such abrupt notice.

The truth was none of them were ready to face the facts yet. No one wanted to look at the body which would force them to finally come to terms with what had happened.

Before returning to the tunnels Wulfgar gave one final look across the plains, "Drizzt...where ever you are now...I hope you have found peace, my friend."

\------------

There was a whispering sound at first. It soon grew into a dull roar, like thousands of voices all speaking at once.

He frowned in annoyance, not yet opening his eyes, as he struggled to ignore the sounds that sought to draw him out of sleep.

The sudden sound of someone yelling jerked him fully awake and he sat upright rather suddenly. He grew instantly confused. He seemed to be sitting in a huge crowd of people, a dull gray fog drifting back and forth around the area.

The yelling sound again and suddenly there was a man in his face shouting wildly, hands grabbing at his throat. He reached for his weapons but found them missing.

"Here now get off 'im!" a rough voice shouted and the wild man was pulled away, thrown back into the crowd, where he was even further pushed away.

Still sitting he looked up at his savior, finding an unknown man standing above him, a kind smile on his face, "Don't you be minding those fellows, they can be a bit startling at first, but they're harmless." he said, "lets get you off the ground now."

The man held out a hand which he gratefully took, letting himself get pulled to his feet.

The man looked him over fully and whistled, "Well now, you're certainly something we don't see everyday. Don't get many Drow in here, at least not that I've seen so far."

The drow blinked in confusion, looking around, "What?"

"Oh good, you're not a yeller." The man sighed with a chuckle, "I can see you're a bit out of sorts, that's only natural. So, how'd you die?"

The Drow did an about face, staring at him in a shocked manner, "What?" he said this time with more emphasis. There was a sudden pinching pain in his stomach and he gasped, his hand going to the sore spot. He frowned with further confusion when he discovered nothing to be amiss.

The man flinched, "Ah, sorry, must have been bad if you don't remember it, or maybe you were killed in your sleep, always a possibility."

The Drow scowled and shook his head, "I don't understand, where is this?"

The man gave him a more careful once over before deciding to answer, "This? This here is the Fague plane. It's the souls waiting room you could say. Strange that you don't know of it. Course, elves don't generally come here, usually they just go right through, no waiting."

The Drow seemed to have disappeared into his own world and didn't seem to have heard the last part. Returning quite abruptly to his spot on the ground, or what could be called ground in this place anyway. It was more of shifting plane of black and grey that resembled both marble and flesh all at once. The man started to try and get him to his feet again when another man walked over.

"Hey, Felder, what's going on?" the second man asked.

The man, Felder, looked up and shrugged, "Oh, Geni. New arrival. One of the yellers attacked him. He seems pretty out of it."

Geni looked at the figure on the ground and shrugged, "Hmmm, well I'm sure he'll come out of it soon enough, we all do."

"Where's the kid? Maybe he can help?" Felder asked.

The Drow looked up in shock at the two men, clad in adventurers gear, standing so calmly above him, "Kid?"

Felder looked down and grinned, "Geni's son. We was traveling through the mountains, got ourselves attacked by some hill giants. We all got smashed by boulders."

Geni snorted, "Didn't even know what hit us."

Felder nodded, "Real painless, I definitely recommend it as a preferable way to die."

The Drow stared at them both like they were crazy then snorted a bit in laughter, it was just all too ridiculous.

Felder smiled wider at the sound, "Hey! Yeah, that's the spirit."

"I think he just thinks you're insane." Geni said.

"He'd be right then, wouldn't he pah?" Another voice chimed in, this one was much younger sounding, obviously belonging to a boy barely in his teens.

The Drow looked up at the new arrival but wasn't expecting the reaction he got. The boy was barely above the age of 13, maybe 14 years of age but when he locked eyes with the Drow he stiffened and his eyes became huge.

"Here now, Ben, what's wrong with you."

The child Ben pointed at the Drow, "I know you!" he turned his gaze to his father's, "He was in those books you bought me! You know? The ones with all those hero stories? It's Drizzt!" he yelled.

At the sound of his name something clicked in the dark elf's mind. Memories spiraled before his eyes as his life replayed it's self. He didn't notice the shocked faces of Felder and Geni or the sudden silence that spread through the area as Ben's announcement was spread through the crowd of gathered souls, causing them to turn their attention to the most unexpected addition to their group.

Felder was the first to recover from his shock and he turned outraged glares to the others who were unashamedly staring at the fallen hero.

"Hey now! We didn't all stare at you when you first got here! Go back to your prayers!"

The groups glared back at him and with faint mutterings went back to what they were doing before.

Drizzt let out a faint sound of pain, finding with despair that he couldn't cry, apparently that ability was beyond a soul to accomplish.

Felder placed one of his big hands on the dark elf's shoulder, "Oh gees, It can't be that bad, right? Maybe it hurt a lot but that's over now, cheer up."

Drizzt just growled and pushed his hand away.

He tried again, "Think of it this way, it's done with. Now you don't have to worry about it anymore."

"It's not that you idiot!" Drizzt yelled.

Geni scowled, "Hey now..."

"Friendly fire..." Drizzt muttered looking at the ground.

Felder, "What?"

"I was hit by friendly fire!" Drizzt said, louder this time.

There was a moment of stunned silence from the three.

"Oh...wow....I'm sorry, that's rough." Felder said, feeling suddenly helpless.

Drizzt gave a sarcastic sounding chuckle and shook his head, "Yeah...rough..."

Felder and Geni gave him sympathetic pats on the shoulder but Drizzt didn't really notice any of it. He just stood there in the crowd of waiting dead, staring off into nothing.

"Catti..."

\-----------------------

"It's like her spirit has fled." The healer said, her voice thick with sorrow.

Bruenor refused to hear the words, refused to believe any of it.

His daughter on the bed in front of him, vegetable like, while his best friend's body was laid out a room away, being prepared for burial.

Catti hadn't moved or reacted at all since she'd been found and returned home. It was as the healer said. She just lay there, motionless save for her breathing and the occasional blink of an eye, staring at the ceiling. Nothing could reach her. Not pain, not heat, not cold, not even the voices of her friends and father.

"Whatever happened to her has caused her spirit to flee. She is hiding. I'm afraid there's nothing we can do. It's up to her now."

The healer left the dwarf alone, knowing his need to grieve in solitude.

Bruenor's hands fisted in the sheets, stubbornly refusing to let the tears fall yet.

"Don't ye be doing this ta me, girl." He growled, "I canna be loosin ye both."

Letting his head fall onto the bed beside his daughter, Bruenor did something he rarely ever did. He cried.

\--------------

Drizzt couldn't tell how long it had been since he'd awakened here, time seemed to have little meaning for the dead, but there was a keen restlessness in him. The others all seemed perfectly content to simply stand in one spot waiting, but not Drizzt. He'd never been one for idleness and that trait had obviously followed him even here.

It was frustrating.

He could feel something pulling at him, like there was something he had to do but he couldn't figure out what. Everytime he became lost in thought he found himself wandering to the planes boundaries only to receive worried and warning glances from the planes guards, men and women clad in dark armor bearing the symbol of Kelemvor, god of the dead.

They seemed to think he was about to make some mad dash to freedom or something, a dangerous idea for a defenseless spirit. Yet if that was what he truly believed why was it he found himself once again walking the planes perimeters.

This time Kelemvors servants were taking particular interest in him. They were taking no chances in a run away apparently as a group of them began to follow him. Drizzt rolled his eyes, he wasn't in the mood for this.

He felt one of them put a hand on his shoulder and Drizzt's irritation reached new heights and he couldn't help but act them out. Grabbing the guards arm he twisted it and flipped him over his back on the ground. He may not have any weapons but that didn't mean he was completely helpless, at least not against other humanoid souls. The guard, a rather young looking male human, gaped up at him in shock as his comrades let out cries of alarm and rushed forward to surround him, swords drawn. Drizzt scowled at them but had no doubt their weapons could hurt him pretty bad even if he was already dead.

"Woah! Easy! We're not here to hurt you!" the guard he'd downed said, holding his hands up in a display of surrender.

Drizzt frowned and gave the guards around him a look that was full of doubt.

"Just a misunderstanding that's all." The guard replied as he stood back up, waving off his comrades who just rolled their eyes as they put away their weapons.

"Don't you let him get away now, Derik, I'm not going to explain to any more Deities why we let their faithful wander off and get eaten." a female said as she walked away.

"He's not going anywhere, Jayha." he assured not taking his eyes off of the Drow. He rubbed his back where he'd hit the ground and grinned playfully, "You don't mess around do you? I'm sure if I were alive I'd be hurting right now something awful."

Drizzt shook his head, "My apologies..."

Derik shook his head and chuckled, "No, no, I shouldn't have snuck up on you like that."

"You didn't sneak up on me." Drizzt said, glancing back towards the planes boundaries.

Derik saw his glance and grew serious, "You don't want to go out there, there's things out there that eat souls like you for breakfast."

Drizzt sighed and decided to ignore the statement, he was well aware of it, "So, is this your job for eternity?" he asked.

Derik grinned, "It was my pleasure to protect the dead in life, it is my further pleasure to continue to do so in death."

Drizzt thought about it, "So you are happy doing this?"

The guard seemed to understand what was going on in Drizzt's head, "Don't worry about it, once you leave here you won't have a worry in the world. The gods are pretty good about giving their followers what they want."

Why do I feel so out of sorts, why do I feel like there is something I need to be doing. Drizzt thought, his face showing his discontent clearly.

Derik fidgeted slightly, "Then here, who is your Deity and I'll try and put you at ease."

"Mielikki." Drizzt said, feeling as he said so an intense sense of rightness about it.

A look of understanding grew on Derik's face and he smiled slightly, "Ah. I understand."

"What?" Drizzt asked confused by the look he was getting.

"Mielikki isn't what I'd call your typical goddess. She doesn't come for her followers. Instead she expects them to find their way to her. I asked Kelemvor about it once, I thought it was cruel. He said it was her way and the way of those that follower her. Not to stand idle and wait but to go out and find." he explained, "I don't think I ever met a follower of Mielikki who ever stopped, always rushing around." he looked at Drizzt intensely, "It's her way of giving her followers what they want." he finished with a wink.

Drizzt understood suddenly, and smiled as he looked back to the boundaries he'd been wandering around for so long. That's what he'd been sensing then. Mielikki pulling him to her, giving him direction, something to focus on as he traveled to her. He nodded, this he could understand, and the feelings of nervous excitement filled his eyes with familiar fire as he contemplated the journey ahead.

Darek nodded, "Good luck." he said and walked away.

Drizzt didn't bother returning the farewell, lost in preparation. He knew he should be frightened by what he was contemplating, after all if he was killed out there there would be no other existence, he'd simply be gone, but he felt strangely calm. Almost as if he knew there was nothing to be afraid of.

_Drizzt..._

The voice was almost like wind rustling through the trees, so very faint, but it sent a wave of confidence through his being as he looked up and saw a faint white figure peaking through the murkey grey haze of the Fugue Plane. He felt a warmth against his chest and looking down he found his unicorn pendant, an exact duplicate of the one he'd possessed in life, glowing with a faint white light.

He gripped it tightly, "I'm coming." he said, then with a determined stride he passed through the barriers surrounding the lands of the dead and out into the unknown.

\------------------

Regis stood staring at the table in front of him or more pointedly the blanket covered form laid out upon it. One arm was hugging his middle while the other was covering his forehead as he tried to work up the courage to remove the blanket and get to work.

He'd had a fight with Bruenor about it only an hour before. He'd insisted that something had to be done about Drizzt's body, they couldn't just leave it in a room and forget about it.

"Then you go an' do it!" Bruenor had yelled after a long shouting match that finally ended when the dwarf had bodily thrown the halfling from the room and slammed the door in his face.

That was why he was there, standing next to the table, hands shaking as he took in the situation. Blood stained the blanket and small rivelets had dried across the tables stone surface, proof that the body hadn't even been properly cleaned yet. Luckily one of the merchants had been a cleric of some small ability and had cast a preservation spell on the body, preventing it from decomposing on them before they were able to bury it.

It was a good thing because if there had been a horrible smell accompanying this then Regis didn't think he'd even have been able to stay in the room this long.

After a long moment and several deep breaths Regis took the wet cloth from the bucket he'd brought and rung it out tightly several times.

_Come on Regis, you can do this. It's just Drizzt, he wouldn't want you to be afraid of him like this._

"I'm not afraid." he whimpered then gripped the blanket and pulled it back, only to drop it and turned around his hand over his mouth.

Apparently no one had bothered to close the Drow's eyes either after they had found him.

Not daring to look back Regis threw the cloth at the wall in front of him and sank to a sitting position on the floor, a small sob coming from his throat. He didn't notice another pressance in the room until Wulfgars voice rang out.

"Oh, Tempus, Regis what are you doing in here." The barbarians voice sounded oddly soft and subdued.

Regis coughed and blinked away his tears, trying to explain, "I...he.." he managed but his throat kept locking up and all he could manage was frantic gestures from the cloth on the floor and the table.

Wulfgar sighed and shook his head, "You shouldn't be trying to do this alone." he said. With a gesture looking a lot calmer then he felt he reached out and gently closed the dark elf's eyes. He sighed again, heavier this time, as he leaned against the table, gazing down at the drow none of them had expected to be having to bury.

_You were supposed to live longer then us, elf._

Regis stood up and retrieved the cloth, "I didn't like the thought of him just laying in here like this." he said softly.

Wulfgar just stared at him in understanding for a long moment before leaning down and taking the cloth from his hands. There was no need for words, they all understood what each was feeling. Drizzt didn't deserve to languish away in a room while his friends grieved. Tears could always come later. Reweting the cloth which Regis had over rung he began whipping at the blood and other grime that had crusted over Drizzt's face. He could tell by the amount of blood he was already having to clean up that the actual wound must be gruesome indeed. That thought in mind he began to slowly fold back the blanket until he finally reached the hole that gaped in the dark elf's armor. He frowned as he looked at it, not feeling as shocked or disgusted by it as he thought he would. Only curious.

"What could have caused a wound like this?" he thought aloud, going through the myriad of weapons he'd expect any common rogue or bandit might wield.

Regis peaked over the table and swallowed heavily, looking pale, "Uh...a spear?" he said, taking in the round shape of the hole.

Wulfgar frowned even harder, reaching over and moving the edges of the armor to get a better look. The metal wings weren't dented or forced into the skin like they would be if broken through sheer force. In fact some of them even looked melted. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Regis, "What kind of spear melts Mithril? What kind of spear even breaks through mithril let alone go all the way through like this?" he observed.

Regis crossed his arms over his chest and looked just as confused as he sounded.

Wulfgar scratched the back of his head. Something was out of place here to be sure. Something was tickling the back of his mind, something he was overlooking. He was sure he'd seen wounds like this before but where?

_Enough of this, you've got a job to do._

Shaking his head he went back to the task at hand and began unbuckling the starps holding the armor in place. If they wanted to clean his body they had to remove his clothing and armor first. He placed the chain mail to one side in a neat pile. It could always be repaired before the funeral. Next came the unicorn pendant and neck purse from around his neck. The neck purse he placed with the armor but the pendant he held out to Regis.

"I think he may have wanted you to have it back." he said.

Regis just shook his head, "No, it was never mine." he said, motioning for Wulfgar to add it to the pile.

Next came the weapon belt. His scimitars were missing, having been retrieved separately. In fact they'd already been cleaned and stored safely away. They unlike the rest would not be buried with him. Wulfgar knew Drizzt would not want them locked away. The weapons would see battle again some day in the hands of another. Until then they were destined for Mithril Hall to be put on display Wulfgar was sure. Bruenor would have a memorial built in no time. Wulfagr himself already had plans for a memorial to be built here as well, in Icewind Dale. The place had been the Drow's first true home after all.

The rest of his clothing and equipment took less time to remove but it was when he removed some of the various traveling pouches and packs that he heard something fall and clatter across the stone floor.

"Guenhwyvar..." Regis gasped and Wulfgar looked down to see the statuete lying forlornly on the floor. Drizzt had never gotten a chance to call her during his last battle it seemed.

How would the great cat react to the loss of her master?

Wulfgar froze, unsure how to proceed. He'd never had a very close relationship with the magical beast.

Regis bent down and picked the statue up, running fingers over the delicate features, "Do you think she knows?"

Wulfgar just shook his head and shrugged.

Placing the statue back on the floor Regis stared at it for a long moment.

"Guen?" he called, not sure how to go about this. He wasn't even sure the cat would listen to him, "Guenhwyvar?"

Nothing happened.

Wulfgar let out a breath, "Maybe you should tell her."

Regis gave him a suffering look but knew that if he'd been her he would have wanted to know. It would be torture to just sit in there wondering where your master had disappeared to, never knowing. He swallowed audibly, "Guenhwyvar...you have to come. Drizzt is...Drizzt is dead." he managed to choke out.

The reaction was instanantious. Faster then they'd ever seen it before. The grey mist gathered and became the solid form a very angry looking black planther. Ears back and teeth bared in a furious snarl as she faced Regis. A very obvious threat should he have been lying to get her to come forth.

The snarl stopped and the ears came forward though at the sight of Drizzt's body and the smell of death told her the unwanted truth of the situation. A low growl escaped her throat as she approached the table, ending in a low hissing whine. Placing her front paws on the table for support she nudged his head with her own, ears going back again as she buried her head against his neck, body trembling. It was apparent to the other two in the room that she was crying in her own way, the sight bringing more tears to their eyes even when they had thought there were none left to shed.

Magical being though she was no one could deny the obvious bond she had shared with Drizzt. A unique friendship that had denied the very laws of magic it's self.

Though they had also been friends with the Drow none of them could even begin to imagine the pain she must be feeling at that moment.

It was many minutes before she pulled away from the body of her latest and most beloved of masters. He had broken her bonds of servitude. Had shown her what it was like to have a real friend again.

Pacing around the room she finally found her way back to the statue and sat down next to it, head hanging low in despair. With a final sigh the great cat disappeared into a cloud of mist and was gone.

Watching the emotional display Regis and Wulfgar wondered if the cat would ever come forth again.


	3. Chapter 2

_Run_

It was the only thought going through Drizzt's mind at the moment. Weaponless in his spirit form he had nothing to defend himself against the meriad of interplanar creatures he had the misfortune of running across.

And so he fled, flew across the seemingly endless jungle terrain, the hissing of the pack of reptilian canines hot on his heels loud in his ears. Following the pull of his goddess and trusting her to not lead him into a dead end.

Down a slope, over a log, duck, jump, turn right, turn left.

Finally after seemingly forever his path crossed a shallow river and he heard the hunters fall away behind him. A smile of relief crossed his features and so it was that he didn't recognise Mielikki's warning to stop until it was far too late.

The pull became a push. Pushing him back, crying out to him to stop, but he was traveling too fast and responded too slowly.

His left foot came down onto something soft and pliant and that was all the warning he had before a translucent tentacle wrapped tightly about his leg and yanked him off his feet. Drizzt found himself hanging upside down by one leg before he even fully comprehended what had happened. He gasped and looked up, straining to see what he'd been grabbed by. At first he couldn't make out anything against the dark greens of the trees that chocked the entierty of this plane, then there was a faint shivvering of the air and he saw a pair of bright yellow eyes appear against the leaves. They blinked down at him and a long forked red tongue flicked out between invisible lips.

"Sssspirit." a voice hissed, sending a shudder of dread down Drizzt's spine, "What an...unexsspected catch."

The air shimmered again and Drizzt could finaly see the creature he'd been captured by. Covered in mottled green grey and white membrane was one of the strangest beings he'd ever lain eyes upon. The head was some bizzar mix of human and snake set on a long snake like neck atop a slender huminoid torso. the torso melded into a long thick tail which he could see wrapped about the trees branches for support before tappering into the sinewy tentacle that held him aloft. Most noteforthy feature however were the six twitching barbed tentacles that served as this things arms which now reached down towards him as the thing lowered it's upper body down towards it's captured prey.

The tentacles latched onto and around his arms and chest. Drizzt bucked and twisted in their grasp, boney barbs digging against his skin. In his spiritual state he felt no discomfort yet but he had a very good feeling that they'd hurt if they broke through.

"Don't ssstruggle...you only make it harder for yourssself..."

Drizzt looked up into the yellow, slit eyes and wanted to say something caustic, or maybe spit in the things face, but found suddenly that he couldn't. In fact he couldn't do anything at all. His eyes wouldn't leave the others' and he felt his body grow stiff. In his mind he knew what was happening but try as he might he could not break the creatures hold on him.

_Drizzt, you idiot!_ he cursed himself.

The creature's mouth widened into a fang filled and ugly smile. Three of it's six tentacles loosened, leaving him held only lightly. If he'd been able to move he might have managed to fight free. If he'd been able to move.

As the loose tendrils arched and pointed in his direction, obviously readying an attack, in his mind he was screaming but he could nothing but twitch as they drove forward and buried themselves deep within his incorporeal flesh.

The pain was like nothing he'd ever be able to describe, much more then anything he'd ever felt during his days as a living being. His fingers spasmed and his body trembled with the desire to scream as the tentacles dug themselves through his very being.

A pulse ran through his form and he suddenly began to feel drained of all of his strength. Despite the creatures powers his eyes went out of focus and found himself once again in control of his movements. His head fell back weakly as his limbs went limp, falling victim to the creatures life draining attacks. A strange tingle began to climb up from his finger tips as he felt himself fading away. His eyes rolled back into his head as he began to succumb to the black oblivion he was being pulled down into.

_No!_ The shout was strong and sounded more like a growl then a word and came from the very center of his being. His fists clenched and he felt The Hunter rising to the surface. It was fast and more violent then he remembered.

There was a tearing pain, a bright flash and Drizzt suddenly found himself thrown with great force onto the ground. A high pitched scream split the air and several tentacles fell twitching onto the ground beside him. Blinking up in confusion Drizzt saw another figure in the creatures grasp. A blade flashed and yet another tentacle flew free and with a twist the figure landed neatly on his feet, straddling Drizzt's body. Wild, knotted white hair fell raggedly down the figures back, two gleaming scimitars grasped in ichor spattered dark skinned hands.

The snakelike creature tried to retreat, slithering awkwardly back up towards the safety of the trees, but the new arrival wouldn't let it. Darting forward it sheared the things head from it's long neck in a single sweep and despite the fact that it was obviously dead it followed it to the ground and plunged a blade into it's chest several times.

Clasping the wounds the creature had inflicted Drizzt pushed himself back away from the newcomer, not sure what to make of the situation.

The figure straightened and lowered it's weapons and as it turned around Drizzt gasped and felt himself seize in shock.

The other dark elf, for that was what he was, was very ragged in appearance. Shirtless and covered in battle scars. The eyes he directed on Drizzt were alight with lavender fire and though the face was dark with anger and twisted with battle lust it was one he knew very well.

For it was his own face.

\------------------

The wooden table, covered in missives and other papers went flying across the room, smashing into the stone wall with enough force to crack it down the middle.

Wulfgar glared at Bruenor who stood in the middle of the room like one possessed. The dwarf king's face was red with anger and his breath was ragged.

"They need to be told!" Wulfgar argued.

"Ye be sendin' any one o' those damned letters and I'll be smashin' in yer face like I smashed the table!" the dwarf growled.

"You're being unreasonable! They deserve to know what happened! Drizzt is dead, people need to be told."

"Don't ye be sayin' that!"

"It's true and it's time we all started accepting it!" Wulfgar bellowed.

"I will never accept it!" Bruenor yelled back and then stomped over to the table, tossing aside papers until he found the one he was looking for. Tearing off the original message he scribbled a new one, sealed it then tossed it at the confused barbarian.

"Ye send that one!"

Wulfgar frowned and looked at the name written on the scroll, "What? Cadderly? But..."

"Just send it already!"

"I don't get it, why..." Wulfagr stopped and stuttered to a halt as something clicked in his brain, "You...you can't be serious! To try and do that! To-"

"I aint be given up on em!"

"But...it's...sacrilege...and he's been dead too long."

"It's been done before!" Bruenor growled.

"But-"

"JUST DO IT!"

Wulfgar stared at the dwarf for a long moment then shook his head as he walked from the room, letter in hand, "This is a mistake..."


	4. Chapter 3

Drizzt couldn't understand what he was looking at. Was this a trick? Was he delusional? Could spirits even suffer from such things?

Lowering his weapons his doppleganger took a step in his direction and Drizzt scrambled to his feet, backing away. He flinched and looked down at his lingering wounds, frowning as he took in the shimmering edges. It was disconcerting to see actual holes in his being rather then tears in flesh. The pain was fading faster though. Obviously his spirit was faster at recovery then his body had been.

Another step in his direction had Drizzt's attention back on his double, and he backed away again. This time the other frowned and Drizzt felt a very distinct wave of annoyance from him.

_Why am I feeling that?_

He was about to demand answers when he noticed that the others attention was no longer on him but was glaring at the trees behind him. It was another moment before Drizzt heard the distant, but fast approaching, growls of the creatures he had thought he'd outrun. 

"Damn..." he muttered. He glanced at his double but figured this mystery would have to wait for another time. He had more running to do.

He tried to take off in the same direction he'd been traveling before but found himself dragged to a halt only a few strides away. There was a distinct pressure on his chest, a backwards pull that kept him from taking another step. Looking down in search of the cause at first he didn't see anything then a flicker of light drew his attention to a silvery cord of light connected to his body. It was pulled tight and was leading back behind him.

To his double.

The other grunted and seemed to be experiencing the same discomfort, looking at him over one shoulder with an angry glare.

His eyes widened at what this could mean. Somehow the two were connected and one would be unable to leave the other. How was he supposed to escape?

Both were turned away from their discovery by a hissing howl announcing the arrival of their enemies. Instead of turning to flee as Drizzt would have preferred his other raised his weapons and went down into a crouch, a bestial snarl escaping his lips.

His holy symbol vibrated against his skin and a sense of desperate urgency filled him.

"No! We can't fight them! We must run!" he shouted trying to bring sense to the other only to be ignored. Drizzt saw a shadow dart passed him in the foliage and forgetting his earlier fear of his double he darted forward and grabbed him by his arm trying to pull him away.

A surge of anger buffeted his senses and his double spun on him, one of the scimitars sliced a thin but deep line across his shoulder. He jerked away in pain but was astonished to hear a hiss escape the lips of the other as the same wound appeared on his double. Drizzt backed away holding his arm and noticed the fire dim in the other's eyes. A wave of regret flickered through him.

_Am I feeling his emotions? How, why? What IS this?_

His thoughts were once more interrupted as the shadow he'd seen before exploded from the trees, outstretched claws slashed across the double's chest. The other stumbled and threw the creature to the side, gashing it's side with a scimitar.

Drizzt cried out in surprised pain and collapsed to his knees as the wounds his other had taken appearing on his own chest, though his double barely seemed to notice. He was taking the others damage but was unable to run without him. This was bad.

The other glanced at him in alarm and took a step in his direction but at that same moment the injured snake hound took the silvery cord of light connecting them in it's jaws. Liquid agony filled both of their senses. Drizzt collapsed, twitching as the burning pain raced across his limbs. His other missed a step and let out a howl of pain though he managed to keep his feet. His teeth ground together in a snarl, turning pain to anger, anger to strength. Blades flashed and the hounds head flew free of it's body.

The worst of the pain vanished though residual twinges continued. Drizzt was just barely beginning to regain his senses when he felt his doubles hand under his arm, pulling him roughly to his feet and dragging him off. At first Drizzt could barely retain his footing but with his doubles help he soon found himself limping along side the other and after a couple more moments was running freely beside him.

Even though he was not entirely aware of his surroundings anymore he continued to follow the directions his goddess was sending him, dimly acknowledging that his other was running a step behind him, following his lead and yet whenever he missed a step or tripped the others hand appeared to steady him.

Suddenly he was stopped. The others hand gripped his arm and halted him so abruptly that he was spun around and down onto one knee. Blinking he glanced up at his other in confusion before his surroundings registered in his fogged mind. He had nearly run them off a cliff.

But the pull persisted. It was guiding them over and down.

Looking over the edge he felt unease fill him. There was nothing below save clouds. He was looking down at the tops of clouds. How high were they?

The pull became a tug. Mielikki wanted him to jump.

This time it was Drizzt who pulled the other, out over the edge.

Falling through the clouds the jungle plane quickly disappeared from sight as they fell into darkness.

\--------------

"It is taboo, Bruenor, you don't know what you ask of me!"

"I only ask that ye try!"

"Trying may be more then enough to make a mistake you will regret!"

"If it works I won't be regretin' it!"

"All the more proof you have no idea of what you ask!"

Regis let out an uneasy sigh as he stood beside Wulfgar, watching the argument between Bruenor and Cadderly become more and more animated. The priest had come almost instantly after receiving their missive but it seemed as if had he known what Bruenor had intended by the summons he more then likely wouldn't have bothered.

"Resurrecting elves is forbidden, Bruenor, it's dangerous! Please. Understand me." The cleric argued, his tone becoming more pleading then demanding.

"He's already dead, what worse could happen."

Cadderly's face twisted with frustrated anger and he slammed his hands down on the King's desk, "You could destroy him and me! I could bring him back only for him to die again...or worse...he could never be the same..."

Regis swallowed hard and fidgeted, "Maybe you should listen to him..."

"...he would do it for us..." the dwarf said faintly staring at the table top.

Cadderly blinked and his expression softened, "What?"

Bruenor looked up with a blank expression, "No matter the risk, He wouldna given up on any o us...I can't give up on him...if there's a chance, no matter how slight..."

Cadderly shook his head, "I understand your grief, he was my friend as well...but this is..."

"There is a chance though...it could work."

"Well...yes, but..."

Bruenor nodded resolutely, "Then I will take that chance and if you won't help me, I'll find someone who will."

Cadderly scowled, "I'm the best chance he has..."

"And I trust ya, what's more, so please," Bruenor said, his eyes pleading, "Help me."

Cadderly shook his head and opening his mouth, probably to protest, but the words died in his throat and he just sighed and ran his hands through his hair, "Bruenor..."

"If...if you think he won't make it...I trust ya...I trust ya to make that decision...all I ask is ya try..."

Cadderly seemed to consider it for a long time before he finally submitted, "Alright...alright...we'll try..."

Despite his words his face was still creased with worry and concern.

Regis and Wulfgar shared a glance, both feeling as if there was going to be more to this then a simple spell casting, something the priest was neglecting to tell them.

What were they all getting themselves into?


	5. Chapter 4

Drizzt blinked up at the stars. He couldn't remember ever seeing so many of them before. It reminded him briefly of his first trek to the surface. His first view of the ceilingless sky. So many stars, it almost seemed like he would be sucked into the void with them. He turned his head and was assailed by a fierce sense of vertigo and panic to find that it appeared that he had indeed been sucked into a void of stars.

Or rather, if memory served, had fallen into it.

He was above a small floating island adorned with a singular green colored pool but beyond that he couldn't see a floor or any ground...in fact there was nothing he could truly discern as solid with the exception of his double who stood nearby with his back turned, eyes endlessly tracking the void around them.

How long had he been here? Staring at nothing? He couldn't tell.

Every second seemed to drag on for eternity and yet seemed like no time at all. It felt like dreaming.

He turned himself over and looked around. He thought if he stared hard enough he could make out faint outlines of trees or other islands amid the stars but every time he blinked or looked away they would fade from existence, obscured by silvery clouds. Most concerning of all, Mielikki was strangely silent. She was there somewhere he could tell but she was either not providing directions or was somehow unable to.

"Where are we?" he asked, his voice echoing around him disjointedly.

His double gave him only a small glance but otherwise made no other moves or sound. Concentrating on his double Drizzt tried to get some sort of sense for how he was feeling but unlike the few times before he was coming up blank. Perhaps that WAS how he was feeling. He had no idea, maybe his double truly wasn't feeling anything.

"...Who are you?" he asked. _Or what..._

Suddenly he was buffeted by anger as the other looked at him sharply. The question had obviously upset him greatly.

Drizzt's eyes narrowed, "I don't know who or what you are, but you cannot follow me like this. I don't need you."

_Don't need me?!_

Drizzt's eyes widened at the growled out words within his mind. No...not words. Images and emotions. He could see the words written out with his own hand in flashes, snippets of memory, played out within his mind. It was occompanied by anger so strong that each wave left a kind of buzz in their wake.

Oddly enough...it was a familiar feeling. Anger so blinding he could see and feel nothing else. So strong he was exhausted from the feel of it. His fingers twitched in reaction. They felt oddly empty.

"Who are you?" he asked again though his voice was weaker.

Then his double was suddenly in front of him and before he could even form a protest had clasped the sides of his head in his hands. He jerked, head thrown back as images assaulted his vision.

He was running, stumbling through underground tunnels that were shaking and bucking under his feet. Dust and small rocks were falling from the ceiling, tunnels buckling and twisting behind him. He remembered this. It had happened shortly after his initial escape into the Underdark after fleeing his family. A tunnel shifting...or Earthquake as he better knew it now. His first test of survival in the wilds. He couldn't remember a time when he'd ever been more terrified then in those moments. How he'd managed to survive had always been a blank for him. He had always blamed it on the trauma of it. Never giving it a second thought.

But here it was, playing out as if he were there, clear as crystal.

He saw himself dive through the entrance of a tunnel, rolling as he hit the ground to absorb the impact. He tried to jump back to his feet but the world abruptly tilted as the earth split and try as he might he couldn't regain his balance. He fell and slid into the rift. 

This was as far as his own memory carried him but here the memory continued, how he'd caught the edge of the rift, just tips of fingers into cracks in the stone. Desperation and pain giving him the strength he shouldn't have had to pull himself back out.

Then quick fire memories of other times in those dark days. The basilisk fight. The encounter with his siblings, the slip up after he'd moved in with the deep gnomes. Then even more recent memories of fights with Entreri.

The Hunter. That's what he was looking at.

That more primal part of himself somehow split away from him and standing in front of him.

The Hunter let him go and floated back leaving Drizzt at a loss.

"...I'm sorry." Which sounded strangely insufficient but what else should he say? What does one say to something that was essentially just another part of their own self?

"How did this happen?"

The Hunter only shook his head and Drizzt could sense that he had no more answers. Of course not...why would he? Instead he simply reached out and touched the holy symbol hanging around Drizzt's neck. His expression turned questioning.

Drizzt frowned and shook his head, "There's nothing. I can feel her but...I don't know where we're supposed to go."

Even as he said this suddenly he felt the medallion begin to pulse, a small white light forming around it. He clasped his hand around it and felt it thrum through his being. This wasn't for him though. It was a signal to something else. She was trying to call something to them...he only hoped whatever it was was was the only thing they got the attention of.

\----------------

Guenhwyvar hadn't moved from her spot in the Astral since she'd returned. The great stag would run by amid the trees made of glimmering stars as he always did but the cat made no move to give chase. Never even lifting her head. Not this time.

It wasn't the first time she'd lost a master...but this felt different.

Even the death of her first Master, who created her and whom she had loved dearly, didn't hit as hard as this. She knew Drizzt would be gone one day. Of course she did. It was the natural way of life that it would one day end but...

How could anyone ever take the same place as the Drow who had saved her from her own bindings? How do you recover from losing a love that strong? He had given her the power to choose and it felt so very wrong to use that power now to serve another. Perhaps one day her grief would be lighter...but one day to a being such as herself could be an eternity to those she'd left in that cold stone room. 

Something changed in the Astral around her. To anyone else it would seem unchanged in it's shifting of stars but to a natural denizen such as herself there were visible ripples around her. An energy from somewhere in the distance that called to her with a familiar voice. She lifted her head.

It was impossible.

She stood up and glanced back at the silvery pool that indicated the astral corridor normally used to bring her to the Prime Material Plane but it lay dormant. The surface still as glass. This summons was coming from deeper within the Astral itself. Not daring to hope she leapt from her island, in search of the one who was calling to her.

\-----------------

The pulse softened and became more focused. Whatever this was meant to summon seemed to have succeeded. At least that's what he hoped it meant, especially a moment later when the shape of some beast became evident among the shifting clouds.

The Hunter drew a blade and twisted to meet this potential threat but he needn't have bothered as the familiar form of the panther came more fully into view. One could argue that it could have been any great cat and they should have stayed wary but Drizzt knew his friend when he saw her. Recognized her with more senses then his eyes.

"Guen!" He called, elated a moment before the great cat barreled directly into them. She gave an answering roar and shoved her head against his chest with a happy chuffing noise. She rubbed her cheeks against him and then circled the both of them, pressing her body against him and encircling them with her tail as she went. She seemed hardly phased by the fact there existed two of them though when she settled it was closer to Drizzt. Even so she didn't pull away from The Hunter's hand when he placed it on her head. She had always been at odds with his other half but that wasn't because of any outright dislike. She had simply sought to protect them both...even if it was from themselves at times.

Drizzt continued to scratch his hands through the fur on her face even as he glanced around them again. This place suddenly made more sense to him.

"....we are in the Astral Sea then?" he asked and Guen gave a low growl as if in confirmation. She turned her head roughly into his hand. Drizzt smiled down at her uncharacteristic show of intense affection...then it faltered as he realized the likely reason behind it.

"You know then...don't you? This is no normal visit. That this may be the last we see each other?" Not that any visit to the Astral could be seen as normal but this was beyond even that. It also made him realize he had no idea how much time had passed. He could have been dead a very very long time and not realize it here.

He immediately decided this was something he'd rather not think about.

Guen's only response was to once again press her head into his chest and Drizzt responded by wrapping his arms around her neck, feeling the trembling in her muscles, "...I'm so sorry, Guenhwyvar."

Had Mielikki led him here on purpose? Was this some kind of gift? That he could say goodbye to his first true friend? Perhaps it was just a fortunate coincidence. Whatever the case it didn't matter. He was greatfull regardless.

They stayed this way a long time but it was Guen who pulled back first. She seemed more serious now. Her ears were forward. He knew that look.

"...what is it?"

She growled low in her throat and a paw came up to press against his chest, more specifically his holy symbol that continued to glow against his skin as it drifted.

"You know where to go?" he asked in realization. This made sense. It was her home plane. If anyone would know how to travel through it it would be her.

She moved away and circled around them again, putting herself by his side so his hand rested on her back, looking up at him. He nodded and glanced at The Hunter beside him. He held out his hand and the two clasped wrists.

He gripped the fur along Guen's nape and nodded, "...please, show me." and then they were moving, the island and it's green pool quickly lost to the void behind them.


End file.
